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Early Career Researcher workshop on diagnostics for Antimicrobial Resistance

20 November 2017 09:30-18:30, London, United Kingdom

The 2016 O’Neill review on Antimicrobial Resistance identified the development of new, rapid diagnostics as one of the vital interventions needed to reduce the unnecessary use of antimicrobial drugs. Realising a healthy pipeline of new diagnostic tests and technologies will require a multidisciplinary effort, bringing together researchers across scientific fields, alongside clinicians, regulators, and social scientists.

The Learned Society Partnership on Antimicrobial Resistance (LeSPAR) is convening a one-day workshop for early career researchers, which will include a number of invited experts, to provide inspiration, encourage interdisciplinary networking and explore the barriers and opportunities facing the development of rapid diagnostics for infectious disease. The main themes identified at this workshop will be shared with various research funders and stakeholders to highlight the critical areas where early career researchers require further support.

This workshop is aimed at supporting recent appointees and early career researchers (e.g. PhD or postdoctoral) or equivalent, working in academia, industry or a clinical setting. Applications are invited from all fields of research, including those outside of the life sciences (e.g. social sciences, engineering, physics). Prior experience of diagnostics research is not necessary, but an interest in diagnostics and their application to infectious disease is required.

Speakers

Dr Jim Huggett, LGC & University of Surrey, United Kingdom

Over the past 15 years Dr Huggett has dedicated his career to the growing field of biometrology applied to the preclinical research and translation of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. his interests focus on improving the application of molecular diagnostics and genomics methodologies in healthcare. Dr Huggett has had to challenge many deeply held dogmas and has led studies bringing together clinical collaborators with the metrology community, diagnostic manufacturers and fellow academics. His research has covered areas such as precision medicine and antibiotic resistance and he has been instrumental in writing popular guidelines on molecular measurement.

Dr Bhargavi Rao, Médecins Sans Frontières, Switzerland

Bhargavi studied medicine at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, with postgraduate training in internal medicine, infectious diseases and public health. Following an MPH at Harvard School of Public Health, she worked as a clinical advisor to an HIV/AIDS treatment programme in Southern Africa, expanding ART rollout and improving service delivery. On her return to the UK, she completed her PhD modelling the impact of health systems on malaria transmission and the effectiveness of ACTs, with a focus on Tanzania. She joined MSF in 2013 as a public health specialist but later transitioned in 2015 to her current role as Malaria and Infectious Diseases Specialist.

Dr Chris Walton, Cranfield University, United Kingdom

To the extent that my career has had a pathway, it might be termed “slightly off-the-wall measurements in the life sciences”. My working life has spanned four decades and an eclectic mix of disciplines including engineering, software development, mathematical modelling, database design, metabolic medicine and statistics. I am currently Lecturer in Analytical Technology at Cranfield University. I am a Member of the Institute of Biology, a Chartered Biologist, and an Affiliate of the Royal Society of Chemistry. I serve on the committee of the Analytical Automation and Measurement Group and as a member of the Environment Sustainability and Energy Division Council of the RSC

Dr Tim Rawson, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Tim is a doctor with an interest in infection, who is currently working as a NIHR invention for innovation (i4i) Clinical Research Fellow at the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at Imperial College London. His research interests involve exploring cross-discipline approaches to enhancing antimicrobial stewardship.
Tim is currently leading a cross disciplinary project exploring the utility of Enhanced, Personalised, and Integrated Care for Infection Management at the Point-of-Care (EPIC IMPOC). This aims to explore the utility of integrating machine learning techniques, rapid diagnostics, and mechanisms for drug dose optimisation into clinical decision support systems to improve infection management in the hospital setting.

David (Dave) Persing, MD, Ph.D., is Chief Medical and Technology Officer at Cepheid, and was recently appointed Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) for the Danaher Diagnostics Platform.

Dave’s interest in the democrati­zation of molecular diagnostic methods has been longstanding, starting in 1993 with his publication of the first widely adopted textbook to include PCR pro­tocols and guidelines for laboratory operations. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed ar­ticles and reviews, including multiple articles in the New England Journal of Medicine, Science, and PNAS. He obtained his MD and PhD degrees from the University of California, San Francisco, CA in 1988.

Dr Annegret Schneider, University College London, United Kingdom

Annegret joined UCL in 2016 as Research Associate in Health Psychology. As behavioural scientist within a multi-disciplinary NIHR Health Protection Research Unit, she applies empirical evidence and theory to infection prevention and control research projects. She was previously a Research Fellow at the University of Surrey testing an eHealth intervention for patients with cancer and completed her PhD on patients’ experiences and anxieties in the dental setting at Plymouth University.

Abstract Submission

Extended poster deadline

Abstract submission is optional and not a requirement for attendance. Poster spaces are limited and posters will be selected to reflect the diversity of research interests at the workshop.

Deadlines

Successful applicants are asked to support their own travel for the workshop. However you may be eligible to apply for financial support from your learned society or professional organisation. Members of LeSPAR organisations can find out more via the relevant links:

The day will include a keynote presentation, invited talks and two panel discussions. There will also be an interactive session led by invited experts and a poster session to facilitate interdisciplinary networking between delegates.
Please see tentative outline programme below:

Pathways to success
Chair: Rob FieldProf. David Persing, Cepheid,Democratizing Diagnostics: A Journey from Bench to Bedside;Dr Chris Walton, Cranfield University,Can we sniff out disease? Volatiles in medical diagnostics;Dr Tim Rawson, Imperial College London, The role of biosensors and machine learning for improving the precision of antimicrobial prescribing.

Professor Rosanna PeelingLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom

Organised by

The Learned Society Partnership on Antimicrobial Resistance (LeSPAR) is a partnership of seven learned societies who have come together to provide a unified voice in support of the research community in the fight against AMR. Collectively, LeSPAR represents approximately 75,000 scientists. LeSPAR includes: